Seed-dropping mechanism for corn-planters.



No. 865,307. 1 PATENTBD SEPT. 3,1907.

v E. A. JOHNSTON. I

SEED DROPPING MECHANISM FOR OORNPLANTERS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.25,1907.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

PATENTED SEPT.- 3,..1907.

- v E. A. JOHNSTON.

'SEED DROPPING MECHANISM FOR CORN PLAYNTBRS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 25, 1907.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES P EN OFFICE.

EDWARD A. JOHNSTON,

SEED-DROPPING MECHANISM non ooRN-PLANTERs.

Specification of Letters Patentr OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, AssreNoR TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF EW JERSEY.

Patented Sept. 3,1907.

Application filed April 25, 1907. Serial No. 370,176,

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, EDWARD A. JonNsToN,"a citizen .of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Seed-Dropping Mechanism for Corn-Planters, of which the following is a complete specification. I This invention relates to check-row corn planters, and the object in View is to simplify the construction and secure accuracy in. the operation of the seed dropping mechanism.

The novel features will be hereinafter described,

"pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in seed plate. Fig. 4 is a section taken through oneside of the seed plate and underlying bevel gear plate asindicated by the line 4-4 in Fig; 3. Fig. 5 represents a partial elevation and section of the cliltch members on the seed shaft. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the cation to a corn planter willbe shown and described herein. a

On the main cross beam 1 of the runner frame, at each end (only. one end thereof being shown), is fixed a bracket 2, on which is supported the hopper bottom 3.

This hopper bottom is inclined and provided with the central upwardly projecting-fiat disk-like portion 4, which is surrounded by the annular seed plate 5, the

' seed plate being guided and held against lateral movement by the projecting portion 4 of the bottom 3. To facilitate, the entrance of the kernels of corn to the seed cups or cells, the portion 4 of the bottom is provided with the cutaway portions 4 preferably'three in number, at the lowest portion of the hopper.

The seed plate 5 is provided with a series of seed cups or cells 6 on its inner. face, and rests upon the flat shoulder portion 7 of the bottom 3. bevel gear plateS underlies the seed plate 5, this plate resting also upon the shoulder or ledge 7 and being operatively connected to the seed plate by means of the dowel pins An extension 10 of the shoulder portion 7 of the bottom is con-" by disengage the clutch members.

structed to form an annular channel, in which is housed the bevel gear plate 8. The top of the channel formed' by the extension 10 is closed by the flange 11 on the I hopper casting 11, the casting being bolted to the bot cured the wall 13 of the hopper. As the hopper bottom is arranged at an angle of substantially 45 from the hori- ..zontal, the hopper wall 13 is accordingly cut on a corresponding angle so that the top thereof will extend horizontally. In addition to the special features of construction of the, bottom 3 already described, it is also provided with tom by means of thebolts 12. To this casting 11 is sea a seed opening14 at its highest point, and also with a centrally arranged pocket 15, which communicates at its upper end with the seed opening 14 and merges be low into the hopper bottom 3, near the center thereof. A seed duct 16 also communicates above with the outlet 14 and leads from the hopper to the tube 17, which conducts the seed to the furrow opening device, the latter not being shown. A seed gate 18 is pivotally mounted near the upper end of the pocket 15 for diverting the seed either into the duct 16 or back into the pocket 15.- The mechanism for operating this gate will be hereinafter described. l

A seed or operating shaft 19 is suitably journaled at its end in the bracket 2, and to theend of this shaft is. fixed the bevel pinion 20, which meshes with and imparts movement" to the bevel gear plate 8, and through it to th'e';seed plate 5. Intefmittent'rotation is given to the shaft 19 by means of a clutch mechanism comprising the continuously rotating member 2] sleeved loosely on said shaft and the member 22 fixed to said shaft and adapted to engage said rotating member. The member 21 may be driven from any moving part of the machine preferably and, as is custernary, from the main axle. The member 21 consists of a sprocket wheel provided with a laterallyprojecting flange 21,.Which has formed on its interior a series of teeth 21 On the member 22 is mounted thefspringheld arm 23 carrying the roll er 23 which is adapted to engage said teeth2l; 1i hook or arm 24, mounted on the rock shaft 25, is adapted to engage with its upper end the pawl arm 23, carrying the roller 23, and there- The spring-held arm or pawl 23 normally operates to hold't 1e roller 23 into engagement with the teeth, and the hook 24 oper: ates normally to hold it out of engagement. The spring 26, interposed between the lower end of the said arm 7 members to engage, the parts of the clutch will occupy 1 the? position shown in Fig. 6. This engagement will hold the roller against the cam projection.

25, on which a hook arm 2- is mounted, is rocked by the, button (not shown) on the check wire engaging the arm 26, fixed also on the rock shaft 25, and the clutch members are thrown intoengagement to actuate the seed dropping mechanism for each hill' ofcorn, as is well understood. The chain 27 engages at its forward end the constantly rotating clutch member 21, and at its rear end may engage a sprocket wheelon the main wheel axle, these last mentioned parts not being shown, as such construction is the one usually employed. and their disclosure would not add clearness to the description oi the invention.

Fixed to the shaft- 19, and preferably formed integral with the fixed clutch member 22, is a cam carrying disk 28, to which is secured the cam projection 29. This cam projection is madcadjustable in length by at.- tacliing the additional piece or pieces 2!), or in any other suitable n'ianner. A lever 30 is pivotally mounted at ill on the post 32, which is secured to the main cross beam 1. ()n this lever is mounted the roller 33, arranged to contact the cam projection 29 and thereby cause the lever to vibrate, the spring 34 operating to Rods 35 connect the ends of the lever 30 with the gates '18 in the seed duct, only the gate on one side oi the planter being shown, however, for the reason explained.

. The operation ol' the mechanism is as follows: Assuming the hopper to be filled with seed and the hook 24 to have been rocked on its shaft to permit the clutch cause the seed shaft 19 to rotate one complete revolution; at which time the clutch members will again be disengaged by the hook 24 contacting the pawl arni 23 and the shaft stopped. The single rotation oicthe -sha't't 1.9 will impart movement to the seed plate 5 through the bevel gear pinion 20 and the bevel gear plate 8, the movement being sufficient to cause a number of seed cells 6 to pass over the seed opening l l which shall not be less than the maximum number of seeds required to be dropped. The rotation of the shaft 19 will also cause the cam disk 28 to rotate, and the position of the cam projection 29 is so timed with respect to the other moving members, and its length is so adjusted that through the lever 30 and the connecting rod 35 the gate 18 will be held up or open, as shown in Fig. '1 long enough to permit the required number of seeds to drop through the seed opening 14 into the seed duct '16. When the said gate. occupies the dotted line position of Fig. it closes the duct lo and the seed drops upon the gate and into the pocket entrance into the seed cells 6.

clined surfaces down which the grains of corn slide p and assume a position which will facilitate their ready s I Furthermore, the inclined bottom enables the seed to drop through the seed opening and be easily returned to the hopper by its own gravity. I

What -I claim as my invention, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

-l. In a seed dropping mechanism for corn planters, in combination, a hopper having an inclined bottom and a seed opening at the highest point therein, a seed plate, a shaft, a driving connection between said shaft and seed plate, a continuously moving driving member, and means for intermittently engaging said driving member and seed shaft. 4

L. in a seed dropping mechanism-for corn planters, in combination, a seed hopper having an inclined bottom and a seed opening at the highest point therein, aseed plate, a'

bevel gear plate underlying-and rotatively .fixed to said seed plateva shaft, :1 bevel pinion fixed thereon whiclrv meshes with and drives said bevel gear plate, a continuouslymoving driving member, and means for intermittently engaging said driving nember and seed shaft. 4

3. In a seed dropping mechanism for corn planters, in combination, a seed hopper having an inclined bottom, a seed plate mounted in the bottom thereof and provided with a'seed outlet atits highest point, a seed duct communicating with said outlet and leading from the hopper, means operable for a variable length of time for shutting off the communication between the seedv outlet and the seed duct. and means for rotating said plate.

4. In a seed dropping mechanism for corn planters, in combinatiom a seed hopper having an inclined bottom, a seed plate mounted in the bottom thereof, a seed opening located at the highest point in said bottom, a seed duct communicating with said seed opening, a pocket formed in the hopper bottom and communicating also with the seed opening, means for diverting the seed either into the seed duct or into the pocket, and means for imparting an intermitt ent motion to the seed plate.

5. In a seed dropping mechanism for co'rnplanters. in combination. a seed hopper having an inclined bottom, a seed plate'mounted in the bottom thereof, a seed opening located at the highest point in said bottom, a seed duct" located at the highest point in said bottom, a seed duct communicating with said seed opening, a pocket formed in the hopper bottom and comnmnicating also with'thc seed opening. a gate for diverting theseed either into the seed duct or into the pocket, andntermittently rotating shaft having a gear cont1cctio\'i \vitl1 the seed plate. a member secured to said shaft and provided with a cam projection mounted in said bottom. a duet communicating with said opening. means for closi said-duct. an intermittently rotating shaft having a gear connection with the seed plate, and a driving connection between the shaft and duct closing means.

H. in a seed dropping mechanism for corn planters, in combination. a seed hopper baring an inclined bottom provided at its upper side with a seed opening. a seed plate mounted in said bottom. a seed duct. communicatirrg with said opening. means for closing said duct. an intermittently rotating slmt't having a gear connection with the seed plate. a continuouslyrotating clutch memb'er on said shaft. a enacting clutch member tixed to said shaft, and

an operative connection extending between the fixed clutch member and the menus for closing the seed duct.

9. In a seed dropping mechanism for corn planters, in

combination, a seed hopper having an inclined bottom, the

a seed duct communicatingwith theseed opening, a gate for diverting the seed either into the pocket or into the duct, a shaft, a continuously rotating member loose on said shaft, a clutch member fixed to the shaft and adapted to be engaged with said rotating clutch member for iulew mittently actuating .the seed dropping mechanism, a (21m projection movable with said shaft; a lever in operative relation with said can], and a rod connecting with said lever and gate for controlling the latter; substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD A. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

GEO. K. BARTON, LEO J. FORSTER. 

